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HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH IN THE MINIMALIST STYLE

Quick Guide
Written by Karthika Gupta

HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH IN THE MINIMALIST STYLE // © PHOTZY.COM 1

 Minimalism seems to be a hot topic of discussion these days
in almost every facet of life. Minimalism has made its way into
a lifestyle that is often associated with a way of living, a way
of creating, and even a way of traveling. Even though the
interpretation is subjective, the Webster dictionary defines
minimalism as follows: A style or technique that is characterized
by extreme sparseness and simplicity.

Many of us are drawn to the ‘less is more’ concept with simple

lines, geometric patterns, clear shadows, colors, isolated
subjects, etc. Sometimes these elements occur automatically in
our surroundings; other times, some manipulation is needed in
terms of decluttering and removing elements from the frame.
The key is to train your eye to assess what is required to create a
strong story. Here are a few tips and examples to get you started
in your quest for minimalist imagery.

Recommended Reading: If you’d like to improve your

composition skills for better images, grab a copy of Photzy’s
best-selling premium guide, Advanced Composition.

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 COMPOSITION TECHNIQUES

One of the key elements of minimalism

is the concept of less is more. Keep it
simple, keep it light, keep it concise.
However, ‘keep it simple’ does not mean
‘keep it boring.’ Contrary to popular
belief, a minimalist approach requires a
lot of creativity. Well-placed subjects and
key elements that help communicate a
story are all challenging to get right all the
time. These concepts often require a lot of
practice until it becomes the way you see.
Start asking yourself these questions even
before you bring the camera to your face to
take the shot. Sometimes if it is not obvious,
look through the viewfinder and “see” the
shot instead of cropping out unwanted
distractions in post-processing.

Key Lesson: In situations where it

Photograph by Karthika Gupta is not possible to remove distracting
The beautiful bougainvillea tree frames the shepherd and his flock as they walk away from objects from the frame, use depth of
the camera. The rest of the frame is clean and clear, eliminating any other distractions. field to isolate your subject from the
background by shooting with an
aperture as wide (smallest number) as
your lens will allow.

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 Photograph by Karthika Gupta

The distracting background of hikers

along the trail almost faded away
by shooting low and wide open,
creating that beautiful bokeh.

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 COLORS AND TEXTURES

Bright colors, or even contrasting colors,

help with the minimalistic approach by
adding the right amount of contrast.
The key is to not go extreme but to pick
one or two colors that work well with
each other and use them prominently
in the image. Sometimes even adding
a little texture in the image can assist in
improving the visual appeal of the image.

Photograph by Karthika Gupta

This is one of my favorite frames.

The empty Ferris wheel cars in
all these colors against the blue
of the sky speaks about summer
fun without saying much.

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 Photograph by Karthika Gupta

Here the red of the flowers complements the brown of the wooden fence. It’s a testament to
the fact that minimalism does not have to be devoid of color and texture for it to work.

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 LEADING LINES
AND PATTERNS

Lines and patterns – if done correctly

– can also assist in the minimalistic
approach. But aim to keep it simple.
Leading lines, and other geometric
shapes, can make great backdrops for
minimalist pictures. But if there are too
many elements in the frame, it can make
the image appear chaotic and busy, which
is not the minimalistic, clean way.

Sometimes all it takes is to find a creative

angle to photograph. Experiment with
different angles (straight on, higher up,
low down, etc.) until you get a shot that
showcases your vision for the image.

Recommended Reading: If you’d

like to improve your composition
skills for better images, grab a copy
Photograph by Karthika Gupta of Photzy’s best-selling premium
Here, the use of the road signs along with the curve in the road guide, Advanced Composition.
showcase the path to the mountains in the distance.

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 NEGATIVE SPACE

Learning to use negative space is a huge

advantage to embracing the minimalistic
movement. Negative space allows the
main subject matter to breathe freely and
conveys a sense of lightness in place and
space. Negative space is a great way to
isolate your subject so that the viewer can
easily interpret the story you are trying to
convey. Remember, negative space does
not always mean a single subject and nor
does it mean always photographing in
the rule of thirds. It quite simply means
allowing less clutter in the frame.

Photograph by Karthika Gupta

Negative space along with

the posing added a lot of
drama to an otherwise
simple portrait.

HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH IN THE MINIMALIST STYLE // © PHOTZY.COM 8

 CONCISE STORYTELLING

One of the best ways to practice and

perfect minimalistic photography is to tell
a story. Ask yourself if the elements in the
frame help move the story forward or are
hindering the story. Sometimes a human
element is needed to tell the story, and
other times it is not needed. Symmetry,
lines, patterns, and shadows take on the
role of telling the story.

Photograph by Karthika Gupta

Here, lack of a human subject

is overcome by using the yellow
median as well as the curve in
the road to communicate the
feeling of going off the beaten
path. There really was not a
single car for miles on end and
we had all this magnificent
landscape all to ourselves.

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 Sometimes the story and the environment
come together spontaneously and it’s the
photographer’s job to see it and respond
quickly. Other times it requires a bit of
patience for the right subject to walk
through the frame.

The good thing is that a minimalist

approach to photography can be
applied in nature as well as in an urban
environment. You can practice anywhere,
so get out there and open yourself up
to a different way of seeing with your
camera, no matter the genre.

Photograph by Karthika Gupta

This image makes me want to put

on my running shoes and hit the
trails. The camel pack, her stance,
and the surroundings all showcase
the story of being outdoors!

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 POST-PROCESSING

Minimalistic photography does not just

end once you take the shot. You can
extend this concept into post-processing
as well. The easiest way to approach
minimalistic photography in post-
processing is to keep the image treatment
simple. Avoid highly saturated images,
a lot of contrast, and intense color
corrections. With portraits, don’t correct
all the skin and tone imperfections. Let
the subject’s natural beauty show without
too much retouching.

Recommended Reading: If you’d

like to improve your composition
skills for better images, grab a copy
of Photzy’s best-selling premium
guide, Advanced Composition.

Photograph by Karthika Gupta

A simple lifestyle editorial that

focused on solitude and idleness
was the epitome of minimalism.
The post-processing here
supported the story with a very
light and airy look and feel.

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 Photograph by Karthika Gupta

HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH IN THE MINIMALIST STYLE // © PHOTZY.COM 12

 CONCLUSION

In photography, minimalism is a visual

statement where the story of the
photograph is simplified, elements are
reduced, and clean space is added. Not
only has minimalist photography become
its own genre, but photographers
specializing in the discipline have come
into their own, creating an attractive
space of art for us all to enjoy. As industry
professionals, it behooves us to pay
attention to this trend and see how we
can apply this in our own body of work.

Photograph by Karthika Gupta

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 Self-Check Quiz:

1. What is the Webster definition of

minimalism?

2. True or False: A great tool to assist in

composing a minimalist composition is to
ask yourself questions.

3. What tool, involving the use of your lens,

can be used to help remove distracting
objects from a minimalist composition?

4. For a minimalism photograph, is it better

to work with one or two colors, or cram in
as many different colors as you possibly
can into the composition?

5. What type of shapes can make a great

background for minimalist photography?

6. What type of space works well in

minimalism?

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 ABOUT THE AUTHOR Congratulations! You’ve completed
this Photzy guide!
Karthika Gupta is a
If you liked this photography tutorial, check
wedding, lifestyle, portrait,
out one of our premium composition guides
and editorial photographer
to help you produce truly outstanding
based in Chicago. Her
images: Advanced Composition.
style of photography is
fun, fresh, and organic. She
strives to capture authentic
emotions and interactions
among her clients and
emotive imagery in her
commercial work.

She loves connecting

with other creatives
and photographers and
is always ready for an
engaging conversation
about photography and the
art of storytelling.

She can be found online at www.karthikagupta.com IF YOU’D LIKE TO CONTINUE

and on social media at: LEARNING AND IMPROVING
Instagram: www.instagram.com/karthikagupta
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